Armitage was resting by the waterfall and listening to the sounds of the water running down into the pond. He did not know exactly how big the pond was but he had tried to get better about his surroundings. He had been trying to get to a point where maybe he could find his way back to places he had been. Besides the fact that he wanted to eventually find where he came from and where his family might maybe be missing him. He knew he had to have had a family at some point. All he could remember was the caves and the "Facility" that they had kept him in. He knew he was a lab rat and he knew that they had experimented on him. He shook his head as if to clear it of the memories. Those wouldn't be helpful today.
It was a lazy day and he didn't know much about his current location aside from he had been here for a around a moon or two it seemed. It was kinda hard to tell time when most of your life was darkness, but judging by the cycles he had heard with the birds and so forth, he could make an educated guess. He lifted his head to the warmth of the sun. It seemed like it would continue to be a nice relaxing day.
That was until he heard hoofsteps and the sounds of a twig snapping to his left. he turned his head over as his ear pricked in the direction of the noise. He was trained in on any and all noises. He may not have had eyesight but his ears and other senses helped to pick up the slack. He could almost see his surroundings in his mind.
"I'm not sure who you are and if you be friend or foe, but.... I am not just going to roll over for you...." He made sure his voice was stern. He wasn't getting up, and normally he would have lead with a gentler voice but after his run in with a few unsavory characters he decided to take his friend's advice and try not to be as Naiive as he had been. He listened to see what this stranger would do.
Andromeidis watched from the shadows for a time. He was a warrior and he enjoyed his warrior ways. He was raised a purist but he knew that it wouldn't help him in his day to day life. After all he had found his mate and he loved her fiercely with everything he had. Heliotrope was his mate and she never ceased to amaze him. His tail twitched behind him as he decided to approach the waterfall. This one wasn't far from the lands of the herd and so he had a tendency to come to this one quite often. Lately it had seemed that a newcomer had decided to visit the waterfall quite often. He had seen the plant laden newcomer before but had not actually confronted him since he hadnt wandered close enough to the herd lands in order to be a problem. Something had been off about the newcomer but he wasn't quite sure exactly what it was.
Andro had taken a step closer when he found the small twig with his hoof. He heard the faintest of cracks as he had stepped down and knew that he messed up. He wouldn't forgive himself for a long time for making such a rookie mistake. It wasn't like he was trying to be a predator or even sneak up on the newcomer, he had just decided before leaving earlier that if he were to see the newcomer again that he would actually interact with him this time. He would see why he was there and what he might want with the herd. If he was just passing through then Andro would gladly assist him on his way, if he was lost or turned around then that was another thing that Andro could help with.
His attention was brought back to the other as soon as he spoke. His voice was clear and Andro was mildly surprised that the other had heard the sound of the crack. He approached Cautiously and making himself not seem like a threat. If he could avoid a fight he wanted to. He did not want a fight or other altercation this close to the herd lands.
"My name is Andromeidis, most call me Andro... I am one of the warriors of the herd not far from here... I have seen you for a while now but as you had not approached the Herd I had decided not to approach, today my curiosity got the better of me it seems...." He wasn't sure why he was so upfront and honest with this outsider. He wasn't even a Unicorn, but Andro just had a sense that the other would not be a problem for the Herd.
Armitage kept his ears pinned in the direction of the one who stepped on the twig. He had all of his senses trained on the other. He wanted to make sure that if the other who he now knew was called Andromeidis had ill intentions that he could ensure his safety and the safety of Seymore the plant he carried on his back. Seymore would never let him live it down if he let anything happen to the two of them. That snarky plant would probably out live himself. So there was a herd near here that made sense. It was a from what he could tell and experience a lovely area.
"I did not mean to trespass.... I can't always.... See where I am going...... I have just been enjoying the area and the waterfall. I can and will move on if you have need of me to...." he said in a voice that was more to his normal happy go lucky self. He had decided that if Andro had meant to do him harm, then it would have been done already. He turned his head back in the direction of the waterfall. "If you have time, I can potentially entertain us both with a story.... I have heard a few in my travels...." He had traveled quite a bit. Never finding exactly what he was searching for, but it was time that he make his way back to his best friend Irina in hopes that they might have some of the pies and tea he loved so much. For now, he would just wait and see what Andro would do.
Andro continued moving closer until he was standing next to the newcomer who had yet to give his name. It frustrated Andro since he had already given his name and had no idea what to call this soq. He sighed to himself. He didn't mind spending some time with this Soq, he would just call him Plant guy for now he supposed. He wouldn't mind killing some time. After all, Helio was with her family this week and he knew they could protect her well enough, so he was on his own for a bit more. What else did he really have to do.
"I don't mind listening and taking a break from some things..... Although..... your name would be helpful...." He tried to keep the slight frustration from being very evident in his voice. He knew it probably just slipped plant guy's mind and he noticed for the first time as he watched plant guy turn his head that he had a band around where his eyes would be. He was blind. Andro blinked in shock. He didn't know what exactly to say or do, but since Plant Guy hadn't brought it up he wasn't going to point out the obvious. It didn't help his awkward feeling. At least now he supposed he might know why Plant Guy heard that small twig snap. He would have heightened senses in all but sight since he was missing his sight. He settled down on the ground next to Plant guy and just waited for him to potentially answer and start the story. He made no promises of not getting lost within his own mind, but he would try and listen and be good.
Armitage was taken aback slightly by the fact that he hadn't given Andro his name. How could he have been so stupid as to not give Andro his name. Andro had lead with it and here he was just rambling on about stories and other things when Andro had no idea what to call him. He mentally chastised himself for his blunder. It was just like him too. He couldn't even fault the other for being frustrated, if he was. Armi couldn't tell. Although Armi had been told that he couldn't tell a lot of things about others.... so who really knew.
He focused back in and came back out of his own mind. Oh good, Andro did want to hear a story. Awesome. Armi didn't need to be so awkward anymore. He thought about which story to tell before hearing Seymore comp down on whatever plant or animal life had been closest. That reminded him of the princess...... So he figured that story was as good as any to tell. Maybe he would become a storyteller after all.....
Before getting trapped back inside his own mind, he started the story... but not before blurting out
"Armitage. I am Armitage and Seymore is the plant.... He's a sassy thing so you have been warned..... People tend to call me Armi for short...." He laughed as he settled in once more. "Once upon a time..... because all the best stories start with that..... there was a princess who was cursed. She had fallen ill on her 20th birthday and had been suspected of dying that very day....." He paused briefly as the story came back to him and he watched it play out in his mind. "She was locked away in the tower of a castle next to a window as her family thought she might enjoy the view. This was their way of giving her a last goodbye... Along comes a handsome prince. He was on an adventure and was looking for dragons and monsters to fight in order to gain fame and prestiege throughout the lands...." He chuckled to himself. "Well he came upon the castle of the princess and decided to investigate it. He had heard tell of the princess who died to the curse and was entombed in the hidden castle. He noticed how the vines and plants had overtaken the castle and were reclaiming it as their own. He searched for the princess and then remembering the stories he went to the tallest tower and found her. There she was lying on the bed unmoving. He walked towards her and was compelled to her. She was captivatingly beautiful you see, so she drew him closer... as he got closer he didn't notice as one of the vines had caught his cheek. it didn't do much aside from cause a small cut where merely a drop of blood escaped. As got to her he remembered the words of the old ones. "For True Love Can Break Any Curse." Our prince laughed at himself before he leaned down and tried to kiss our cursed princess......" He paused for a moment to look back over to the waterfall where the birds were bathing. He could hear them and it distracted him slightly. It only took another moment but then he continued in an even and hopefully entertaining voice. "As he leaned over the princess, his lips coming closer and closer to her own, the drop of blood made it's way down his cheek and as he was almost about to kiss her it dropped from his cheek to her lips. It made the journey before his lips could.... He didn't notice the blood as he completed the kiss. When he opened his eyes from the kiss there was the red eyes staring back at him. He not only woke the cursed princess, but.... it would seem she was hungry. She grabbed him and bit right into his neck. He would be hers forever now. Her curse would be his to bear as well. All our prince heard as the world around him dimmed, was the sound of her chuckling and a whispered, "Thanks for the meal....."...... it wasn't until later that they realized that the curse that the princess had been under was a Corpse powder curse, and she had just shared it with him as she attacked him......" He turned his head in the direction that Andro had been in. He wasn't sure if Andro had remained through the story but as he didn't hear the rustling of the grass or anything else he supposed he wasn't just talking to himself. "There are many a story that I have heard on my journies but, this one always makes me laugh. It could also be the influence from the plant I carry with me.... But who really knows...... Mayhaps.... that's the fun it all of it......" He trailed off, getting himself lost in his thoughts and now just babbling and rambling on about nothing in particular.
Andromeidis listened to Armitage's story. He was actually fairly interested in the story and was impressed with how Armi was telling it. it wasn't one of those long drawn out stories but it also wasn't one that made you not care about the journey the characters had to take. He got to the climax and a part of him raged inside knowing that the story was about a walker and he had STILL not forgiven the walkers for what happened to his family and home as a small foal/basket. He tried to hide his anger spike. It wasn't the story's fault for being about a walker. he should have keyed into it when it mentioned a curse. He listened a while as Armi rambled on about things. He lost himself to his thoughts and then gradually to the warmth and calmness of the waterfall and surrounding area. He fell asleep right there on the ground next to Armi and took a good nap. Maybe when he woke up he would see about inviting Armi back to the Herd with him.... but that was for future him to deal with. He slipped off into the realm of sleep and had visions of his own princess.